Employees are the most important part of any business. As their employer or manager, you must regard them as more than just business assets – you must see them as individuals. A fit, healthy employee will not only be a better worker, they will also live a longer, happier life. By keeping your employees in good health, you will be sending them a very positive message – that you care about them as people and are looking out for them. Here are some ways of getting that message across.
Diet
Diet is one of the biggest factors in determining how healthy we are. Obviously, you cannot control what your employees eat, the decision is ultimately up to them. However, you can encourage them to eat more healthily while they are at work. Your employees will spend eight hours on company premises and will eat snacks, and their lunch, during the working day. A great idea is to buy fruit and nuts for the office and invite your employees to eat them as they wish. Fruit and nuts are healthy alternatives to chocolate and crisps. Additionally, every office has that person who brings in delicious things they’ve baked on a Friday – gently talk to them and try to encourage a less frequent visit from the bakery fairy.
Exercise
Modern working life means that, unlike hundreds of years ago, most workers are not toiling in fields. Most of us now spend eight hours sitting down in front of a computer and then find it difficult to motivate ourselves to do exercise in our free-time. The UK population is the most overweight in Western Europe, with 27% classified as clinically obese and another 36% as overweight.
You can help your employees exercise by providing free or discounted membership at the local gym. Another great option is to have walking meetings outside instead of just sitting down in the meeting room. You could even introduce a non-obligatory exercise break during the day – have employees do star jumps if they want to.
Drugs testing
Drink and drug abuse can be a serious factor affecting the health of employees. Serious addiction can lead to a variety of problems, including withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal is so dangerous that it can even kill the abuser. All of this is why you should take a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug abuse. Matrix Diagnostics Drug Testing will ensure that you can easily test your employees and get the results back quickly. This will discourage employees from having any contact with drugs while they work for you.
Office air quality
Air quality isan essential thing to think about in the workplace. Stuffy offices createtired, sleepy and unmotivatedworkers. Several studies havefound that workers were more productive when the air quality was improved. Open the windows when it’s not too cold and ensure thatyour ventilation system works well when it is cold outside. You should also get some indoor plants fortheoffice – they willimprove the air qualitybytakingin carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen.